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Patented Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR SHELFOrson V. Saunders, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation,Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware v Application March 10, 1950,Serial No.` 148,988 2 claims. (ci. S12-294) las to increase theaccessibility of food products stored in the food storage compartmentthereof and supported on shelves therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide in the food storagecompartment of a refrigerator cabinet a novel form of shelf which issimultaneously slidable and rotatable to dispose a part thereofexteriorlyfof the compartment.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved shelf for arefrigerator cabinet which will occupy a maximum of the horizontalcross-sectional area of the food compartment thereof and which is bothrotatably and slidably mounted to permit a part thereof to be moved outof the compartment when the door of the compartment access opening isopened.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved shelfarrangement for the food storage compartment'of a refrigerator cabinetwherein the shelf is supported for simultaneous sliding movement androtation to move a part of the shelf outwardly of the compartment and isalso again simultaneously slidable and rotatable to return the shelf toits normal position within the compartment with either its front or itsback edge adjacent the rear wall of the compartment.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a still further and morespecific object of the invention to provide for detaching and removingmy improved shelf from the food compartment while it is in its normalposition therein and to provide for locking the shelf against suchremoval during movement thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom thev following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a household refrigerator cabinet having a foodsupporting shelf therein constructed and arranged in accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section taken on the line 2--2 ofFig. 1 and showing a top view of my improved shelf within the foodcompartment of the refrigerator cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig.2, showing the support of my improved shelf within the refrigerator;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2, showinga roller secured to the 2 shelf support and positioned in a trackbeneath the shelf;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showingthe shelf support mounted upon a peg;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 8 showingthe roller locked within its track to prevent removal of the shelf fromits support;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing theshelf rotated and partiallyslid outwardly of the food compartment;

Fig. 8 is a view like Fig. 7 and shows the shelf in a position afterhaving been slid outwardly of the compartment and rotated degrees fromits normal position therein; and

Fig. 9 is a View similar to Figs. 7 and 8 showing the shelf disposed ata 45 degree angle in a direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating my invention, I have shownin Fig. l thereof a household refrigerator cabinet generally representedby the reference character I0 and comprising an outer metal shell II andan inner metal liner I2 (see Fig. 2) forming walls of a food storagechamber or compartment I4. Any suitable or conventional insulatingmaterial I5 is located between the shell II and liner I2. The insulatedwalls of cabinet I0 surrounding the compartment I4 are polygonallyarranged, as distinguished from a circular walled refrigerator, toprovide a rectangular-shaped refrigerator which is best suited formaximum food storage space and wherein my invention is particularlyadaptable. The outer shell I I extends downwardly below the insulatedbottom wall of food compartment I4 and denes walls of a machinecompartment in the bottom of cabinet I0 having an access opening closedby a door I6. An opening in the cabinet front wall provides access tothe food storage chamber or compartment I4 and a suitably in`- sulatedhinged door I'I normally closes this access opening. Within the upperpart of compartment I4 there is mounted an evaporator or cooler element2l of a closed refrigerating system including a refrigerant translatingdevice (not shown) normally positioned within the machine compartmentbehind the door or closure I6. Operation of the refrigerant translatingdevice causes evaporator 2I to withdraw heat from compartment I4 as iscommon practice in the refrigerating art. The low temperature producedyby evaporator 2| cools and causes a thermosiphonie circulation of airwithin the compartment I4 whereby food products stored therein areproperly cooled and preserved. conventional food supporting shelves 22are mounted within compartment I4 and the food One 0I' more supportingshelf arrangement, generally represented by the reference character 25,constructed in accordance with my invention, is also mounted withincompartment I4. v

It is the general purpose of my novel shelf arrangement 25 to combinethe advantages of a rectangular refrigerator with the advantages of arotatable shelf in a circular refrigerator andin addition to providesuch an arrangement wherein the shelf will occupy all of the area of afood compartment which is rectangularly shaped in horizontalcross-section. In my improved shelf arrangement the shelf itself isslidable and simultaneously rotatable and/or is simultaneously rotatableand slidable relative to a stationary support as distinguished fromshelf arrangements which are slidable outwardly of a food compartmentand thereafter rotatable'.- The shelf arrangement 25 herein disclosedincludesa; mounting bracket or the like, generally represented by the'reference character 25 (see Fig. 2), which is of inverted T-shape andsupported in the food compartment Ill of cabinet III against horizontalmovement as will bel presently described. Shelf arrangement 25 alsoincludes a shelf 2l' in the form of a pan having an upturned. peripheralnange 2B. Such a shelf or pan 2'I is normally reticulated to permit thecool circulating air in compartment I4 to pass around foods storedthereon and to flow there- :i

through. However, shelf or pan 2? is herein disclosed as beingunreticulated for sake of clearance in showing and describing thepresent invention.

Referring now particularly to Figs. il and 3 as.

of the drawings it will be noted that the shelf supporting bracket 26comprises a metal channel member SI which extends across the interior ofcompartment I4 intermediate its side walls and is positionedsubstantially parallel to door II and consequently the front wall ofcabinet Ill. The horizontal part of channel 3I is provided with anlopening 32 at each of its ends which opening receives an up-turned hook33 provided on a peg 34 secured to liner I2 in any suitable orconventional manner (see Fig. 5). The mounting of channel member 3l ateach of its ends as described, prevents movement of bracket 26 in ahorizontal direction. The central part of the down-turned front legportion of f' channel member ill is cut away as at 36 (see Fig. 3) toremovably and interlocking-ly receive a bent hooked end part 3l ofanother metal chan.- nel member 38 forming a part of bracket 26. Channelmember 3B extends rearwardly from member 3l to a point adjacent the backwall of compartment I4 and is provided with a downturned end part 39.This end part 39 of channel 38 is provided with a hole 4! which receivesa shank part 42 on a peg or stud 43 secured to the liner I2 forming therear wall of compartment I4 in any suitable or conventional manner Thismethod of interlocking chanv (see Fig. 3) nel member 38 to channelmember3l and of supporting member 38 at the rear of food compartment I4prevents vertical tilting movement of the shelf support or bracket 26. Aroller 46 is secured to chan-nel member 38 inwardly of its end 39 by astud or rivet 4l (see Figs. 2, 4 and 6). This roller 46 has anunder-'cut shouldered surface 49 for a purpose to be presentlydescribed. Preferably the roller 46 is formed from a molded plasticmaterial, such for example, as molded synthetic acrylate resin, styrene,polyvinylacetate or polyvinyl chloride, since elements element ispreferably formed of the same Ina-- molded from these compounds are nowwellknown to offer little or no frictional resistance when rolling uponor sliding over metallic guides or tracks. The top horizontal part ofchannel member 38 is provided, forwardly of'roller 45, with an elongatedopening 5I (see Fig. 2) having its walls 52 formed by turning orfianging down some of the metal thereof (see Fig. 3). This opening 5I isalso for a purpose to be presently described. The mounting bracket 2Smay be bodily' removed from compartment I4, by elevating' channel member3l thereof above the support pegs 34 and moving the bracket forwardly ofcompartment i4 to slide the rear end 39 of channel member S8 olf of peg43. If desired channel member 3S may be removed from channel 3l byrotating its end 33 about channel 3l tov cause the hooked end 3l thereofto become detached therefrom.. The removability of-support bracket 26and dismantling of its parts is preferable so that it can beoccasionally cleaned.

Referring again tov Figs.'2 and 3 it will be noted that shelf 2l has arelatively long straight front edge' 56, a similar parallel back edge5l' and i curved or semi-cylindrical side edges 58 and 59.A

Centrally of these edges shelf 21 is provided an aperture'd depression6I which receives the head of a round stud 62 having a shank portion B3extending through the aperture (see Fig. 3). This stud 62 is welded orotherwise suitably secured to the pan-like shelf 27 and its shankportion .63 extends downwardly through the elon-v.

gated opening or slot 5I in channel member 38 to a point below walls 52of opening-5I.v lAl combined bearing and thrust washerelementv 64 ntsover the shank part B3 of stud 62 and this terial hereinbefore described`and employed to form the roller 4B. The stud G2 forms a pivot aboutwhich shelf 2l rotates and .the bearing part of element t4 engages walls52 of slot 5I and permits sliding of shelf 2l' relative to itssupporting bracket 26 as will 4hereinafter be described. In order torender shelf 21 rotatable simultaneouslywith `sliding thereof I weld orotherwise suitably secure a cam means on the underside of the shelf. Inthe present disclosure this came-means is in the form of a track ilhaving spaced apart parallel inner and outer depending legs 12 and-'I3which straddle the roller 46. The track 'II has a plan geometric -form(see Fig. 2) of overlapping ellipses wherein the overlapping portion ofeach ellipse is Fig. 6) extending into the shouldered undercut .part49of roller 45. This foot portion 'I4 extends (see Fig. 2) from pointsspaced a short distancefrom the two intersecting parts of the twoellipses of the track-ll and prevents tilting of the shelf 2l relativeto its support 26 during movement of the shelf. However, the break inthe extension of foot portion 14 at the points described permitdetachment ofshelf Z'I from bracket 2S and removal thereof fromcompartment I4 for inspection or cleaning. It is to be understood thatsuch removal of shelf 2T can be carried out only whilethe shelf is inits normal position within compartment I4.'

Having described the construction of my novel shelf arrangement and itsmounting Within the food compartment I4 of cabinet I0 I will now proceedto describe the method of simultaneously sliding and rotating the shelf.Assume'that the shelf 2l is in its normal position within food storagecompartment I4 as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing and it is desired tomove a part thereof outwardly of the compartment I4. Door I1 is opened,as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. and the front edge 56 of shelfI 21vis grasped by the hand. Either side of the front edge of shelf 21 maybe grasped in accordance with the side thereof desired to be movedoutwardly. In the illustration shown in the' drawings and hereindescribed the front edge 56 of shelf 21 to the right of the centerthereof is grasped and a pulling force applied thereto.V This pullingforce slides shelf 21 forwardly toward the compartment access openingand at the same time moves that portion of track 1I located to the leftof channel member 38 along and in contact with roller 46 to cause theshelf to also rotate. The result of this simultaneous sliding androtating movement of shelf 21 is indicated in Fig. '1 of the drawingwherein I show` a part of the shelf slid outwardly of compartment I4andthe shelf rotated through an arc of 45 degrees relative to cabinet IIl. During this clockwise rotation of shelf 21 the shouldered undercutpart 49 of roller 46 rides under the foot portion 14 on leg 13 of track1I to prevent any unbalanced load on the shelf from tilting the same andprevents detachment and removal of the shelf 21 from its support 26.Shelf 21, after having been simultaneously slid and rotated into theposition shown in Fig. 7 may thereupon be further rotated in a clockwisedirection another 45 degrees to complete a rotary movement thereofthroughout an arc of 90 degrees as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings tothereby dispose a greater portion thereof outwardly of compartment I4through the access opening normally `closed by door I1. While I havedescribed the shelf 21 as first being pulled outwardly to cause the camor track 1I to engage and slide along roller 46 it is to be understoodthat a rotary force first applied to the shelf 21 will also cause thetrack 1I to engage and slide along roller '46 whereupon the track causesa camming force to be exerted against the pivot stud 62 to thereby slidethe lsame within the slot 5I and consequently slide shelf 21 toward thefront cabinet wall. Thus it should be apparent that the construction andarrangement of supporting my shelf upon the mounting bracket`26 is suchthat either of the two forces, a pulling force or a rotating forceapplied to shelf 21 will initially cause simultaneous sliding androtating movements thereof.

When it is desired to return the shelf 21 to its normal position withincompartment I4, as shown in Fig. 2, it may be rotated either in acounterclockwise direction or further in a clockwise direction dependingupon which of the edges 56 or V51 of the shelf is desired to .be locatedadjacent the rear wall of food compartment I4. For example if the backedge 51 is again desired to be located adjacent the rear compartmentwall then the shelf is rotated counterclockwise to the position thereofshown in Fig. 7 and thereafter slid back and further rotated into itsnormal position within the food compartment as shown in Fig. 2. However,if it should be desired to locate the front edge 56 of shelf 21 adjacentthe compartment back wall then the shelf should be rotated in a furtherclockwise direction from the position thereof shown in Fig. 8 into the45 degree position shown in Fig. 9 and thereafter simultaneously slidand rotated back into its normal posit-ion within compartment I4 asshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. While I have illustrated anddescribedthe shelf 21 as being first rotatable in a clockwise direction it is tobe understood that its first rotatable movement may be in acounterclockwise direction, if desired. By providing means whereby theshelf 21 may be rotated throughout an arc of degrees in either aclockwise or counterclockwise direction turning of the shelf a full 360degrees is made possible. Shelf 21 being rotatable 360 degrees, withoutdetaching the same from cabinet I0, is simultaneously slid outwardly ofcompartment I4 during at least a part of the rotary motion thereof.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a noveland improved shelf arrangement in a refrigerator cabinet. My novel shelfarrangement provides for maximum food storage space within a cabinet ofminimum external dimensions and increases the accessibility of foodproducts supported on the shelf. My arrangement furthermore permitsquick and easy detachment of the shelf from its supporting structure andremoval thereof from the compartment while at the same time providingfor locking of the shelf to its supporting structure while. sliding androtating the same. The novel arrangement is also such as to permit theshelf together with its supporting structure to be detached from vtherefrigerator cabinet and removed frorn the food storage compartment. Thenovel shelf arrangement is simple in construction and inexpensive due toparts thereof being formed of sheet metal.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight Ibe adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a cabinet having Walls forming a compartment therein,said compartment having an access opening in one of said walls, a door`normally closing said compartment access opening, an article supportingmember, a slotted member for mounting said article supporting memberwithin said compartment, said mounting member being secured againsthorizontal movement relative to said compartment, said supporting memberhaving a part thereof depending into the slot in said mounting member todirectly connect the same to said mounting member for horizontal slidingmovement relative thereto, a continuously curved endless trackassociated with one of said members and permitting said supportingmember to be rotated 360 relative to said mounting member, an element onthe other of said members cooperating with said track, said elementbeing located at a point spaced rearwardly from said depending part ofsaid article supporting member and adapted to coact therewith, saidarticle supporting member being, when a horizontal force is appliedthereto, slidable part way out of said compartment through its accessopening while said door is open, and the coaction between said elementand said depending part of said article supporting member together withthe cooperation of said element with said track being such as to rotatesaid article supporting member in either one of two directionssimultaneously with the sliding movement thereof.

2. In combination, a cabinet` having walls forming a compartmenttherein, said compartment having an access opening in one of said walls,a door normally closing said compartment access opening, an articlesupporting member, a slotted member for mounting said article supportingmember within saidv compartment, said mounting member being securedagainst horizontal movement relative to said compartment, saidsupporting member having a part thereof depending into the slot in saidmountingl member to directly connect the same to said mounting memberfor horizontal sliding move ment relative thereto, a continuously curvedendless track associated with one of said members and permitting said.supporting member to be rotated 360 relative to said mounting mem-v ber,an element on the other of said members cooperating with said track,said element being located at a point spaced rearwardly from saiddepending part of said article supporting member and adapted to coacttherewith, said article supporting member being, when a horizontal forceis applied thereto, slidable part way out of said compartment throughits access opening While said door is open, the coaction between saidelement and said depending part of said article supporting membertogether with the cooperation of said element with said track being suchas to rotate said article supporting member in either one of twodirections simultaneously with the sliding movement thereof, meansassociated with said track and engaging said element during movement ofsaid article supporting member for locking the same against removal fromsaid mounting member, and said means being out of engagement with-saidelement While the article supporting member is in a normal positionWithin said compartment to permit detachment of said article supportingmember from said mounting member.

ORSON V. SAUNDERS.`

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